“Many people are talking about it, this anniversary. They’re planning to make it a national holiday,” says Nuna* with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon, who recently visited Syria. “However, people are very cautious, especially the Christians.” 

That caution is well merited. Sectarian violence has checkered the new government’s first year, especially among minority Druze, Alawite, and Christian communities. Nuna describes it as “the waiting season” to see what direction the nation will go.

U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio meets President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa in New York City, New York on 22 September 2025 (Photo by U.S. Department of State via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Still, Syria’s leaders press forward. Last week, the administration welcomed a delegation from the United Nations Security Council — only one of many efforts to reforge ties with the international community. 

But for many Syrian families, the nation’s political complexities simply no longer matter. 

“Some of them are just saying, ‘You know what, we don’t care. We just want to live,’” says Nuna. “They’re not even thinking about what Syria will be. Will it be allied with Israel? Will [there] be expansion? Will the Galilee be taken? They’re not even talking about it.”

Life remains extremely hard, even for Syrians who are not displaced. Inflation is high. Nuna says the government is planning a 400% increase in electricity prices. “People cannot afford this because the wages have not gone up,” she says.

One NGO that Nuna visited in Syria serves many displaced people. She heard story after story of tragedy — destruction, killing, suicide, and abuse. One boy lost his father. His mother had to work and left him in the care of others who beat him so badly he suffered brain damage.

“This is real life here, and what can we do? What can we do?” says Nuna. “Seeing kids like that is difficult. You just look at it, and you see these are effects of war, and this is something that men should not be living with.”

Syrian children (photo courtesy of Jonathan Ramalho via Unsplash)

Although that NGO in Syria can’t meet every need that comes its way, they do what they can as the hands and feet of Christ. Nuna says that the organization is also preparing a Christmas celebration and sharing the Christmas story. “This is a beautiful thing to see, just to see that light in the midst of the darkness there,” she says.

Please remember Syria in your prayers. Ask for God’s mercy and His gospel of peace to spread across Syria. To learn more about Triumphant Mercy Lebanon’s outreach to Syrian refugees within Lebanon, visit their website.

*Pseudonym

Header photo: A gathering of the people and residents of Daraa city in Al-Karama and Al-Hurriya Square after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad (Photo, caption courtesy of Mahmoud Sulaiman via Unsplash)

What was once a table of nourishing, flavorful dishes has been reduced to hurriedly plucked weeds boiled in hot water. As war and famine take hold of the land, Sudan’s people face daily survival, desperate for help.

Greg Kelley from Unknown Nations says, “There are literally millions of people that are living on the threshold of starvation.”

Photo courtesy of Faruk Tokluoğlu via Pexels

Reports show many survive on just one meal of millet porridge a day, while others fill their stomachs with wild plants and weeds. In North Darfur, some have resorted to sucking on coal to ease hunger.

“And always, — says Kelley, — the unfortunate thing in these situations, always, those are the weakest that suffer the most — the women, the children, the people that can’t fight for themselves, provide for themselves. And so that makes a huge percentage of the country.”

In Sudanese areas where people rely on farming for their livelihood, ongoing fighting and shortages of farming resources are steadily shrinking the available agricultural land. In areas where certain food is available, prices are skyrocketing.

According to the World Health Organization, 25 million people face acute food insecurity, and nearly 100,000 cholera cases have been recorded since last July. This year, approximately 770,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

“Nearly 50% of the country is utterly dependent upon foreign aid of some kind, whether it’s through the UN or through NGOs,” says Kelley.

Yet many in desperate need remain unreachable. “There are cities that have been surrounded for over a

year now, and cities with approximately 300,000 people in them that you can’t penetrate, you can’t get into them because they’re surrounded by militia groups,” Kelley explains.

This crisis calls urgently for the global community to unite in prayer and strategic action for the Sudanese people, as they suffer from both famine and spreading disease.

“The church needs to look at these kind of opportunities as a situation where the suffering is present, but we can respond with a cup of cold water, with a hand of help, and minister to them in the name of Jesus,” says Kelley.

Visit Unknown Nations to learn more about the way you can help Sudanese people. Lift up in prayer the ministries serving Sudanese in conflict zones. Pray also for the 1% of local believers to persevere in faith and bring hope to others.

Header photo courtesy of Tom Rogers via Unsplash.

John Pudaite, President of Bibles For The World (BFTW) says, “It really depends on how they interpret that and what they say has to be illegal religious conversion activities. That’s kind of a judgment call: What is legal religious conversion and what is illegal religious conversion?”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

Eighteen of India’s 28 states have anti-conversion laws on the books – often used to target Christian ministries and converts from Hinduism.

Since the announcement of new FCRA regulations, AC Michael, head of the Federation of Catholic Associations of the Archdiocese of Delhi stated that telling Indian Christians to “stop propagating their faith is a direct infringement” on India’s constitutional religious freedom.

For BFTW’s part, Pudaite says, “Fortunately, our primary partners in India have not had any difficulty or charges filed against them that they’re involved in illegal religious conversion activities.”

Despite the challenges, India’s need for the Gospel is urgent, with 1.3 billion people who still don’t know Christ. Pray for wisdom for faithful Christian ministries representing Jesus.

On a practical note, Pudaite also asks, “Pray that the organizations here may find ways to be self-sustaining!”

Learn more about BFTW’s critical Bible ministry in India.

Header photo of a church in Hyderabad, India. (Photo courtesy of Paul Silvan via Unsplash)

Approximately 16,000 licensed NGOs operate in India. The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act ensures that funds donated to these organizations are not used for political contributions or illegal activities. But according to Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs, what used to be a simple registration process for non-profits has recently become a tool for government targeting. 

“It seems like from 1976 until the mid-2010s, it was essentially a rubber stamp. Once you had the approval you had it forever. Now it seems like the government, particularly under Prime Minister Modi, is using it as an excuse to say ‘We need to see your books.’”

Enforcement has been increasing since 2014 when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power. Many prominent Christian organizations, including Compassion International, Center for Policy Research, Voluntary Health Association of India, and the Evangelical Fellowship of India have already had their licenses revoked. Others face scrutiny and charges that range from embezzlement or corrupt financial practices to illegal religious conversion activities. 

While some groups are explicitly evangelizing, many focus primarily on poverty alleviation and education. 

Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Church of the King via Unsplash

“Those things are not overtly conversion activities. They are simply coming alongside people,” Nettleton says. “The sad part of the way they are enforcing it now is so many Indians are suffering because these charity organizations are not allowed to function in the country.”

There is a way for denied organizations to appeal, but most have not seen success through the court system. Besides being a complicated legal process, Nettleton says picking a fight with the government creates even more problems. 

“That may only hurt what you’re trying to do. So once this license is revoked, it’s very difficult to get it back,” he says. 

Nettleton asks for prayer that ministry leaders would have wisdom and discernment as they apply for registration and attempt to file proper reports. He also reminds believers to pray for the Indian government and those interacting with authorities. 

“Prime Minister Modi is from a Hindu nationalist background. His government has never really hidden its Hindu nationalist agenda. Let’s pray for them to be impacted by the gospel,” Nettleton says. 

As Matthew 10: 18 – 20 reminds us, “. . . you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Nikhita S via Unsplash

Nehemiah with FMI says they are in touch with Afghan ministry partners in the area. “He (an FMI contact) said, ‘We all have left our houses and are now on the streets, and we don’t have any support from the local authorities.’

“When we see some images and footage we are receiving from our partners, we have seen that bodies have been taken to several places [such as] military base hospitals because this is a rural area.

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

“Of course, across Afghanistan, the Taliban does not have basic infrastructure of the government…. We do not see any Taliban or government official presence on the street helping people.”

Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, most non-governmental organizations and relief agencies pulled out of the country or significantly reduced activity.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has divided attention, publicly supporting Hamas terrorists in their attacks on Israel.

Nehemiah says, “We have seen in the past, the Taliban are notorious for such activities. They have gone to many, many countries where they were helping ISIS, they were helping the other terrorist organizations, and they were doing joint operations.”

In tragic situations like this in Afghanistan, FMI is able to stand in the gap — offering spiritual and sometimes physical support through local underground Church partners.

“When we were trying to help our partners and their underground Church believers,…we have tried to aid them with different resources. We tried to give them shelter and we tried to make a series of safe houses,” says Nehemiah.

“At this time, again, we have requested our partners to gather as much as information as they’re able. They’re still trying to contact their partners, their friends, their underground Church believers, and trying to get as much information as they have so we can reach out to them.”

For the Afghan people affected by the earthquake — and especially with winter approaching — Nehemiah asks, “Pray for the people who have very, very limited access to drinking water, to medicine, to clothes, and tents.”

Pray also for FMI partners in Afghanistan, for wisdom and courage to represent Gospel hope and show Christ’s care to their neighbors.

Header photo of Afghanistan flag, courtesy of Farid Ershad/Unsplash.

Türkiye/Syria (MNN) — NGOs and aid groups from around the world have been deployed to assist in rescue and relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria. Monday’s devastating earthquakes have killed over 20,000 people so far. But in northwest Syria and parts of Türkiye, help hasn’t come yet. And the clock is ticking for trapped survivors.

Luis* with Christian Aid Mission says he spoke with a ministry partner in a quake-stricken area of Türkiye. The ministry partner learned that his cousin’s whole family died in a collapsed building.

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

“There was no professional help or rescue teams. So people were in the streets in their pajamas, no electricity…. They send me videos of people digging with their hands in the rubble.

“One of the ministries we assist was able to be part of the rescue of a woman there, so they were very happy about it,” Luis says.

“Another ministry leader told me that there were really a lot of bodies in the streets. They’re not right now taking care of the dead bodies because the rescue of the ones that are still alive is a priority.”

Christian Aid Mission doesn’t send teams into Türkiye or Syria, but they financially support indigenous ministries through partnership. From one of their ministry partners in Syria, Luis says, “Two of their workers are still missing. One of them is the children’s ministry director, and another another team member is still missing.”

The last few years, Türkiye has been systematically denying foreign Christian workers’ visas. But now in crisis, aid organizations are being let in.

“President Erdogan declared a stage four emergency which means that international aid is needed. So the door is open for aid [from] outside of the country …. Will those organizations be able to stay long-term in Türkiye? I don’t know.”

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)

In the meantime, it’s up to local Christians to be the hands and feet of Jesus in crisis.

Luis requests “specific prayers, of course, [for] protection…. Another one is inner strength. For example, one of the leaders, he’s not been able to sleep because when he tries to go to sleep, he has this fear of another earthquake.

“Everything that they are experiencing and seeing, it leaves a toll in your soul. So [pray for] physical protection, but also protection in their emotions, in their soul, in their spirit also.”

Click here to give to Christian Aid Mission.

Header photo courtesy of Horizons International.

*Last name omitted for security.

Religious rights groups who have read the law surmise it may have been in reaction to the recent revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, based on the assumption that NGOs funded the uprisings.

(China’s flag courtesy of Wikipedia)

As a result, the law restricts the work of foreign organizations and their local partners, mainly through police supervision.

The intervening months have left ministries scrambling to figure out what kind of impact it will have on their work, and making adjustments to outreach strategies.

More than 7,000 foreign non-government groups will be affected, according to state news reports.  Groups that may have a hard time getting approval include those promoting workers’ rights, ethnic equality, and religious freedoms. What’s more, these agencies will now have to find an official Chinese sponsor and must register with the police.

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For China)

Bibles For China joined six other ministries last week to go over the law and figure out what it means for their future.  

Bibles For China President Wendell Rovenstine says, even under the new regulations, he doesn’t think they’ll shut down their efforts to resource the local rural Church with Bibles.  In fact, he left the meeting, encouraged.

“We have partners, and they’re trying to wrap their minds around this new documentation, beginning next year, for the NGOs that are in China and how they work. I will get opportunity to sit down with three provincial leaders — how are they going to approach these new regulations and how are we able to encourage each other?”

With that in mind, he’s on his way to visit with a church in rural China this week.  Over time, he adds, the requests from the rural indigenous Church have shifted to include not only Bibles, but also leadership and discipleship training.  Perhaps sensing the narrowing window of opportunity, now is the time to help these Chinese believers be ready to lead.

“At the end of our session there, they are going to have a practice preaching opportunity for several of the young students who have been going through their pastoral training program, and then they’ve asked me to share at the end of that a word of encouragement to those leaders.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For China)

Bibles for China recognizes the tremendous ongoing need and is committed to put Bibles in the hands of rural Chinese Christians. Previous generations have not had the opportunity to openly distribute Bibles to those in China due to the potential of negative consequences.

John 9:4 quotes Jesus as saying, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (ESV)

To that end, Rovenstine adds,”They let us know that the Bibles do make a difference. They really plead every time we come, ‘Can you bring more Bibles? We need more Bibles.’ One Bible has a ripple effect to a community.”

Partners from 28 countries have joined Bibles for China to raise the funds to buy Bibles written in Mandarin, the reading language of China. At a cost of $5 each, Bibles for China purchases (in-country) and distributes these Bibles to rural Chinese Christians.

Rovenstine said this came home for him the other day when he paid for breakfast and the bill came to $5.02.  He thought of the person who could have had a Bible instead, and says it’s easy to blow $5 without notice.

Encouraging others to consider the impact, he closes with, “Think of ways: how can you make a difference in China? Whether it’s $5 or $5,500, it’s going to have a ripple effect to a community change and be a real witness to those who need God’s Word.”

In March, European Union (EU) officials raised concern as tax raids on foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increased. A month earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned these groups against "meddling" in Russian politics.

The ongoing hubbub traces back to a law passed in July 2012. It requires NGOs who receive foreign funds to register with the state as "foreign agents," a term carrying negative Soviet-era implications.

"I have expressed concerns about this [law], and I think it is very important…how political activity is being defined," secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, told Putin last week.

"I have said to my counterparts that I am very concerned with [the term] 'foreign' agent because it is very sensitive wording. And it can have a chilling effect on the NGO community, particularly if this law is not being put into practice in the right manner."

Joel Griffith of Slavic Gospel Association says certain aspects play a key role in government investigations.

"What sort of foreign level of support would these specific groups be getting, and then what is being done with that foreign support? Is it simply ministry, or is there a political context to it?" Griffith wonders.

According to Forum 18 News, religious communities are falling under the microscope, even though these regulations don't technically apply to them.

"But because they fall under the category of NGOs, they were included in this sweep," Moscow-based lawyer Konstantin Andreyev told Forum 18.

Hundreds of religious organizations were examined in recent NGO check-ups by Russian authorities. Forum 18 says the examinations ranged from a simple request for documents made over the phone to extensive searches.

No official statistics were recorded, but approximately 400 Pentecostal churches and congregations have been checked nationwide over the last two months.

Churches helped by SGA are in the clear so far.

"The churches that we serve there are focused on the Gospel and not politics, so we'll just have to keep a watchful eye on this," says Griffith.

But searches today could always mean less religious freedom tomorrow. Pray.

"Leaving the politics aside from the question, pray with us that evangelical churches would continue to have the freedom to worship and proclaim the Gospel," Griffith requests.

"Pray for the churches that are existing in Russia and her neighboring countries, and pray for the unhindered advance of the Gospel."

SGA exists to serve churches belonging to the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (UECB) in Russia and surrounding nations. To learn more about their ministries and how you can come alongside their work, click here.

President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba says while the law is specifically targeting those involved in political activities, "We see that there is an effort to control protests. But I know from experience that many local authorities will interpret that in order to control religious activity."

While government leaders say the law applies to NGOs engaging in political activities, opponents say it is a Kremlin attempt to silence critics.

Rakhuba's response to this new law isn't from a religious persecution angle. "We're not saying that this law was aiming at evangelical or mission organizations, but since they are under the category of non-governmental organizations, definitely local authorities can interpret it as a signal to control specifically religious activities."

The term "foreign agents" will push many Russians away, especially organizations that would use outside funding to provide aid, resources, and the Gospel.

Rakhuba says Christian NGOs will be affected. "Most of those who receive support from foreign donors will be very much restricted. And, unfortunately, they will need to be more creative. Many of them will ignore (the law) and go back to receiving support underground."

"But, I don't think it will stop mission work," says Rakhuba.

One of the oldest NGOs in Russia says not only will they ignore the law, they'll challenge it in court. Rakhuba says, "Of course this law needs to be challenged. It needs to be challenged, not a by a few in Russia, but I think the foreign community, the human rights networks, need to address this issue and create some pressure. This law needs to be revised."

Will Russian Ministries curtail their work? Rakhuba says there's no need for them to do that. They need to continue reaching the lost through young church leaders. "True change will come when the Gospel will reach thousands and millions of Russian citizens." That's when these types of laws will end.

In the meantime, ironically, Russian Ministries needs your support. "The need in Russia, training next generation leaders, is bigger than ever before. And we still need support to provide resources for these young people." The funding covers Bibles, other Christian literature, and training and more.

To support Russian Ministries click here.

Interserve's Doug VanBronkhorst says, "It's a time of
transition, but it's relatively peaceful in Nepal right now.  The Maoist
insurgency is more or less over and they're working some sort of new, shared
government."

June elections will see an assembly chosen, charged with the
task of re-writing Nepal's
constitution.  From there, the constituent assembly will decide if Nepal's
monarchy continues. 

There is a shift toward independence that's being felt by
ministry teams, too.  VanBronkhorst says because they go with the mindset
of being a Christian professional, the church has steadily been growing for a
time like this. "There's a transition in Nepal now, too, from the
traditional NGO expatriate organizations being led by foreigners to them being
led by Nepali Christians and the Nepali church taking the initiative in some of
those programs."

Yet, there's a lot that western Christian professionals can
still provide working alongside some of the new emerging Christian Nepali NGOs.  It's training, mentoring and discipleship,
all rolled into one ministry.

Interserve works with educators for expatriate children as
well as local schools and universities. 
They also collaborate with other organizations to increase effective
student work, as well as provide programs for English as a Foreign Language.

On the other side of their ministry, Interserve provides medical,
nursing and dental training.  That's also
supported by community development/Micro-enterprise Business education.

Please pray for maturity and unity among church leaders.  Pray too for excellent training programs for
new leaders.  There are many
opportunities available to support their work in Central
Asia.  Short-term teams are
forming.  Click here if you want more
information.